Healthy Milk Alternatives for Kids

July 20, 2013

My daughter doesn’t like milk all that much but she, as an active teen, needs calcium and vitamin D. A friend, who is a nutritionist, suggested that we try soy milk and almond milk to mix it up a little. It would give her the protein she needs as well.

Milk Alternatives for Kids

We started with Silk Vanilla Soy Milk. It’s funny that my kids do not like vanilla flavored cow’s milk but they liked the soy version. I’ll add this to the shopping list! It’s also nice that the carton is shelf stabilized so it only has to be refrigerated once it’s opened. I’m adding this to my Costco list!

Next, we tried the Silk Fruit and Protein Mixed Berry soy milk. It’s like a smoothie. I like it as a quick on-the-go breakfast which works beautifully because teenagers, at least mine, are not morning people!

Our nutritionist friend also said that every meal needs to be a balance of a starch, protein and fruit/vegetable. The fruit/vegetable needs to be 50% of the plate. I like that the Silk Fruit and Protein drinks fit the requirements with no muss and no fuss!

Mixed Berry was a safe bet because my kids like Mixed Berry yogurt drinks and this is very similar. It also comes in Strawberry Banana. I think my kids would like both flavors.

It’s funny because as an Asian American, we eat a lot of soy products from tofu to edemame but we’ve never had soy milk before! I don’t know why. I grew up on whole milk. In fact, it was a big deal to my parents to drink all our milk in our cereal bowls. We didn’t have to eat all the cereal, just finish the milk. They equated milk with strong bones I think.

It’s nice to have a non dairy alternative to milk though. Soy milk is free of lactose, cholesterol, gluten, eggs, casein, MSG and other things to worry about even if your kids don’t have a diary allergy or lactose intolerance. And I’m just happy too that my kids are trying new food!

Do your kids drink soy milk, almond milk or other milk alternatives? What is their favorite?

p.s. I have a $1 dollar coupon for my readers to try Silk Fruit & Protein. If you are not sure where to find it in your area, please go to the store locator.

This blog post is part of a paid SocialMoms and Silk blogging program. The opinions and ideas expressed here are my own.

14 Comments

Ooh! I spied these in the store the other day and made a mental note to try them when I could come back without a melting-down child. Thanks for the coupon. These look nummy.Jeanette Nyberg recently posted…Storybots App Review

My son is allergic to milk protein but he is a teenager with very picky tastes! He was drinking vanilla soy milk and decided he no longer liked it when he discovered chocolate soy milk. Upon discovering strawberry soy milk, the chocolate soy milk became a thing of the past. And now, sadly we can no longer find strawberry soy milk being sold anywhere in Canada. He tried rice milk and hates it and won’t try almond milk or coconut milk (which I love) . So, this looks like an interesting alternative. I am hoping it is sold in Canada. If it isn’t, I hope it crosses the border soon! Thanks for the information and the coupon…here’s hoping I finally have a solution!

Hi MaryAnne,
Do the kids mind if you add protein to the smoothies? My kids don’t notice. We’re trying soy milk now and the flavored versions seem to be working out, especially chocolate!Pragmatic Mom recently posted…Healthy Milk Alternatives for Kids

These products look really great. I am tearing my hair out with the 2year old who completely refuses all milk and even yoghurt now. Sigh, I am hoping when she is older I will be able to reason her into drinking it, but I just wonder whether it makes her feel sick etc. Soy alternatives may be the way to go, but getting her to even try it is the challenge. Thanks for the great ideas.Julie Grasso recently posted…My Squee!!!!quel is here

Hi Julie,
I wonder if the vanilla soy milk or vanilla regular milk might work? My pedicatrician had to send his daughter to a nutritionist to get her to drink milk after she drank a bad carton of milk at McDonald’s and was put off milk.Pragmatic Mom recently posted…Healthy Milk Alternatives for Kids

Both of my girls were allergic to milk when they were little. They drank Silk for years until they thankfully outgrew the allergy. I think they would have loved this new drink.Asianmommy recently posted…Great Spots for kids in Door County

I have actually learned in the past half year or so that soy is not as great for everyone as they make out. I found myself allergic to soy as did my son in law. I felt really sick after eating soy ice cream and it took me a while to realize it was the soy. Then I went paleo and soy is one of the things I can’t eat anyway.Faigie recently posted…How creative can kids get with one variable plus crayons?

Hi Faigie,
I understand that soy is a pretty common allergy and it’s a tough one because soy is in everything it seems that you would not expect!Pragmatic Mom recently posted…Healthy Milk Alternatives for Kids

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